EPA Adds Talc to List of Chemicals That Are Becoming More Toxic

Federal authorities have put talc at the top of their list of things to research because there is more and more evidence that it could be bad for your health in the long term

Sunday, August 24, 2025 - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has included talc on its list of compounds that are becoming more dangerous. Talc is a mineral that has been used in cosmetics, powders, and industrial applications for a long time. The choice shows that people are becoming more worried that being around talc too much could be bad for their health, especially if the mineral is tainted with asbestos or utilized in sensitive areas of the body. Lawyers for baby powder cancer victims said that the move backs up years of allegations in court that companies were careless and didn't provide customers enough warnings. Many women and families involved in a baby powder lawsuits are happy that the EPA has put talc on its priority list. They say this is a long-overdue recognition of what victims have been saying for years. Public interest groups say that regulators have been sluggish to act in the past, even though tens of thousands of cases and more and more medical research have linked talc use to ovarian cancer and mesothelioma. The EPA has shown that scientific uncertainty shouldn't stop people from taking precautions by singling out talc for more study.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says that things on the watchlist are watched more closely and may have to go through new risk assessments to see if harsher rules are needed. The EPA said in its notice that talc is now in a group of minerals and chemicals that need to be monitored more closely since animal research and epidemiological evaluations have shown that they may cause cancer. Regulators stressed that worries are even stronger when talc is breathed in or used on sensitive parts of the body for a long time. The EPA said that talc is often mined close to asbestos deposits, which might lead to contamination that existing industry testing standards may not fully cover. Experts in public health argue that being on the radar doesn't mean that talc is banned; it just means that it could soon be looked at more closely, like other contentious compounds such as PFAS or formaldehyde. For consumers, the classification might lead to increased warning labels, greater testing of products, or even phased-out use of some products. For manufacturers, the change means more regulatory and legal pressure. Internal records published in earlier lawsuits show that firms have been debating for a long time how to effectively deal with the danger of contamination and lawsuits. The EPA's decision to put talc on its watchlist is likely to change the legal and business landscape for talc in the future. Baby powder cancer lawyers will definitely use this designation as more proof that regulators now know how dangerous talc exposure can be.